


Touch

by robinasnyder



Category: Supernatural
Genre: F/M, Fix-It, M/M, Multi, Spoilers for Episode: s09e10 Road Trip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-16
Updated: 2014-01-16
Packaged: 2018-01-08 22:45:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1138326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/robinasnyder/pseuds/robinasnyder
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Natalie Sarver notices immediately when her husband, Alexander changes to being someone else. She doesn't mind the change so much, even when he brings home a friend named Gadreel. She doesn't even mind that Gadreel calls her husband Abner, it just makes it easier for her to tell the difference between the man he is and the man he was before.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Touch

**Author's Note:**

  * For [scher](https://archiveofourown.org/users/scher/gifts).



> written for drawsshits on tumblr, because she got me really liking this pairing. This is the short thing to make up for not being able to finish the longer one this evening.

Natalie’s surprised by the change in her husband when it first happens. The man who’s language always was too harsh, who always came too close to hitting her too hard to cover suddenly turned gentle. He spoke to Delilah like she was the most precious thing in world. He kissed Natalie like every kiss was a surprise and a treasure. He came home from work, smiling and loving what he did when before he’d always complained about how menial it was.

So it wasn’t exactly a surprise to when she figured out that the man she married, Alexander Sarver, wasn’t the man she was currently married to. 

A handsome man showed up one day. Alexander had thrown his arms around the man’s neck in relief. He introduced him as Gadreel, his best friend. Alexander had friends before, but they liked sports and going to bars and hitting on women when they could get away with it. Alexander hadn’t seen those men since his sudden change. And Natalie had never seen Gadreel before. He hadn’t shown up at their wedding or during any of the years of their marriage. 

It wasn’t just that she didn’t know Gabdreel, it was that he seemed to know the man she was married to far better than her. Whenever she wasn’t in the room she’d hear Gadreel switch to calling Alexander Abner. Sometimes he did it while she was in the room. She’d finally gotten tired of the guilty, worried, nervous looks Alexander had pulled when that happened and asked if that was a nickname. 

They’d said yes, and she’d started calling him Abner too.

Abner was so different from Alexander. She knew Alexander to be one of those macho-macho guys who’d spot and show off their arms the second someone thought they might be gay. Abner pressed right into Gadreel like it was the most natural thing in the world. 

Abner asked Natalie if she’d be willing to have her tubes tied, or if he should get a vasectomy, because he didn’t want more children. Though he mentioned adopting more than once, when Delilah was older. Alexander had told Natalie they were going to have another child. Abner was always very careful about contraception. 

She found Gadreel and Abner pressed against each other often. Within months of Gadreel’s appearance in their lives, she’d find them both asleep against each other, cuddled up in a chair that was really supposed to be made for one person, their feet interwoven up on the ottoman. 

She’d wondered the first few times I maybe Abner was gay. But he still came to her bed happily and willingly and gave as much as he always had. He actually didn’t touch her or Delilah any more or less than he touched Gadreel, and all touches were a different type of intimate. 

The odd thing was when Gadreel and Abner would sit on the sofa and watch something on TV, or talk with Natalie. Abner would have his arm around Gadreel, mostly resting on the back of the sofa. He’d stroke the air the way he stroked Natalie’s shoulder when they sat in the same position. And Gadreel shivered like Abner was touching him.

“Is it okay if Gadreel moves in with us?” Abner asked one day. They’d fallen asleep on the sofa and Natalie had covered them with a blanket. Abner had woken and gone to work, leaving Gadreel curled up on the sofa. Natalie had considered asking Gadreel to crawl into bed with her. Not in a sexy way, but the way she was seeing Abner see Gadreel, friendly and close and needing the feeling of touch and being close. 

“That depends,” Natalie said. Well, honestly, Gadreel stayed so much he might as well live there. They had a guest room Gadreel basically lived in anyway. 

“On what?” Abner asked. 

“On who you really are.” 

Abner’s eyebrow knit together in confusion. Alexander had never done that before. Abner did it all the time and it was adorable. She smiled gently at him, hoping to soothe him. 

“I am your husband,” Abner said. 

“I know that,” Natalie said. “But I also know you are not the man I married.” 

“No,” Abner said slowly. “I am not. But I do love this family very much.” 

“More than Alexander ever did,” Natalie agreed. She crossed her arms over her chest and shifted her hips. It drew Abner’s eyes down and she grinned. Abner really loved her hips. 

“Are you angry with me?” 

“I just want to know who I’m living with,” Natalie said. 

“My name is Abner,” he said. He took a deep breath. “And I am an angel of the Lord.” 

“You’re what?” she asked, faltering. 

“An angel.” 

“But… aren’t angels supposed to be…” She trailed off, not even sure what to supply. 

“What you think is probably incorrect. We can only interact with this world through vessels. Your husband is my vessel. We all fell… someone cast us out. Gadreel is having trouble with the change.” 

Well, Gadreel was very sullen a lot. He jumped sometimes when she touched him. He eyed her warily. He jumped when the noises were too loud. 

“What happened to him?” she asked. 

“He made a mistake. Our father might be forgiving, but our siblings are not. We were locked up for a very, very long time. He protected me, drew the guards away so they would torture him instead. He did it because I think he was afraid if he didn’t help me I would stop loving him. He had thought to try to get back in with our siblings now that all of this has happened, but I convinced him that this can be good too.” 

“You love him very much,” Natalie said. She had been able to see that from the beginning. 

“He is very dear to me. I want him to have a home. I know you would think it proper if he found a job and a wife but-”

“No,” Natalie said quickly. “It’s not what he needs. He needs you… and you need him too. You’re happier when he’s here.” 

“I never cheated on you,” Abner told her quickly. She smiled and took his hands. 

“I know. I see the way you two are. Though I never doubted that you might consider it.” 

“I would not,” he said. 

“I know you would not,” she said. “But I think that maybe the next time the two of us plan to just sleep that we should invite him to our bed, get him used to being close to us.” 

“I don’t… understand,” Abner said. His eyebrows nearly touched and Natalie felt a giggle craw up her throat. She reached out and tugged on his beard hairs so he would lower his head. When he did she kissed him. 

“I know you love him and he loves you. I love you too, Abner. I’m grateful that you chose to live here with us. I’m grateful that I don’t have to worry about Delilah being hurt, either by Alex or by seeing the relationship we had. I’m grateful that it was you who came and not someone else. I have come to love you. And I think I could come to love him. And if I want to keep you, I know he’s included. And I’m okay with that. For now, let’s start by inviting him to bed with us on nights we don’t plan to have sex, ease him into that type of comfort and care. Then maybe one day we can see if he wants more.” 

“Do you truly mean this?” Abner asked. “This isn’t some test.” 

“No, you silly angel. “ She smiled at him. “I want you to stay, and I want him to stay too. Is it an unusual arrangement? Yes, but my arrangement with Alex was usual but also no good. I think this one could work for us. Are you willing to try?” 

“I would love to try.” This time it was Abner’s turn to kiss her. 

Abner did invite Gadreel to their bed the next time they planned to cuddle. Gadreel came in awkwardly and a sat on the foot of the bed. He looked out of place and uncomfortable. While Abner brushed his teeth, Natalie went to Gadreel. She cupped his face and tipped his head up before she placed a kiss on his forehead. 

“You’re welcome here. We’re all family now.” 

“Family isn’t necessarily a good thing,” Gadreel said. 

“Nor is it necessarily a bad thing,” she responded.

Abner returned then and they got into bed. Abner was in the middle and that night he started out facing Gadreel. Natalie was alright with that. She tangled her fingers in Abner’s hair and stroked his scalp, which made him melt into the bed. Gadreel put his arm around Abner and held him close. Natalie laid her arm over Gadreel’s arm and then pressed into Abner’s back. They fell asleep like that. Natalie rather thought she could get used to that arrangement.


End file.
